Al Branch brings the culture to the top of the global conversation. The Blueprint Group partner and CMO has engineered and executed campaigns for some of the most influential albums in history and greatest in hip-hop culture, ranging from Kanye West’s The College Dropout and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to JAY-Z’s The Blueprint, Missy Elliott’s Miss E…So Addictive and Drake’s Thank Me Later and recent blockbusters, including G-Eazy’s The Beautiful & The Damned and more. He’s the rare executive who has fostered the careers of two billionaires—JAY-Z and Kanye West—at their onset.

Aligning talent with world-renowned name brands, he has architected alliances with juggernauts such as Nike, Pepsi, and Hennessy for Kanye, Sprite for Drake, and many more. Alongside his partners at The Blueprint Group, he has notably graced the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list five times. He also has spoken at numerous industry seminars and discussions, appeared in features by Variety, Revolt TV, SiriusXM, and Cheddar, and even written a much-cited op-ed for Billboard.

Cortez “Tez” Bryant not only guides the artists under his purview as a manager but also shepherds the next vanguard of executives as a dedicated educator and mentor through the Cortez Bryant Foundation. The Co-C.E.O. of The Blueprint Group and partner at Maverick unlocks the knowledge of a storied career galvanizing game-changing talents such as Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj. He has notably graced the cover of Billboard Magazine and consistently occupies spots on coveted lists such as “Power 100” and R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players as well as appearing in the Urban Power Issue.

Among other achievements, Complex celebrated him among the “25 Most Powerful People in Rap.” Currently, he manages a high-powered roster which includes Lil Nas X Under his company CB Ventures, Cortez was the architect of the relationship between Jackson State University and Hall of Fame player and Coach Deion Sanders as well as the new partnership between Pepsico. and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Max Gousse, who formally led the west coast A&R department for Island Def Jam Music Group, has been a very successful A&R exec for nearly 20 years. The Los Angeles-based Gousse expertly works with artists in several genres, including pop, R&B, and hip-hop. He is perhaps best known for handling A&R for two of Beyonce’s biggest albums, I am…Sasha Fierce and B’Day, for discovering and developing the platinum R&B group B2K, and for A&R-ing the multi-platinum Dreamgirls soundtrack album.

In the early ’90s as an A&R exec at Irving Azoff’s Giant records, Gousse has subsequently held top A&R positions with East/West records (a joint venture label deal), Universal Publishing, Epic/Sony records, Music World Entertainment (Mathew Knowles’ company), and Island Def Jam. He has A&R’d album projects for Adina Howard, Kelly Rowland, Jon B, Sunshine Anderson, Michelle Williams, Solange Knowles, YG and Michael Speaks.

Fant started her career in various roles at UMG, ultimately working her way up to vice president of media relations for Universal Motown Records in 2010. In her time there, she worked on publicity campaigns for a number of artists, including Erykah Badu, Amy Winehouse, Kid Cudi, and JoJo. While at Universal in 2008, Fant founded and became the CEO of her own public relations firm, The Purple Agency, which specializes in publicity, events, and lifestyle-marketing. Her work with the agency has included partnerships with a range of artists and businesses, including Daniel Casesar, Swizz Beatz, Luis Fonsi, Coca-Cola, and HBO.

Fant left Universal in to join the Warner Music Group as the SVP of publicity and lifestyle at Warner Bros. Records where she oversaw global PR campaigns for acts like Prince, Gary Clark Jr., Bebe Rexha, and Drake's OVO Sound label (among others).

In December 2018, Fant was named the co-head of urban music at Columbia Records alongside Shawn Holliday, leading campaigns for a roster of established artists including Beyoncé, Solange, and Leon Bridges and helping develop a number of new acts like Polo G, Chloe x Halle, and Lil Nas X. She left Columbia Records in 2022.

She was named to Billboard's Women in Music list in both 2019 and 2020. She was also honored at the 2021 ASCAP Women Behind the Music Event.

In addition to her music and PR work, Fant is also a producer on the 2021 documentary film, Eggs Over Easy: Black Women & Fertility. She was also named head of music industry partnerships at Amazon Music in March 2022.

Corey “Mr Hanky” Dennard, is the producer behind several club-cracking singles for Young Jeezy, Usher, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, Yo Gotti, City Girls, and Young Dolph. His early days, under the tutelage of hitmaker Collipark Music, saw him crafting the sonic landscapes for artists like Soulja Boy and V.I.C., and igniting the Ying Yang Twins' chart-topping reign with his infectious beats. Hanky's sonic palette exploded, morphing from unpredictable bangers for Atlanta's rising stars like Dae Dae and YFN Lucci, to smooth R&B ballads for Queen Naija. He seamlessly navigated between veteran giants like Fabolous and Plies, and modern hitmakers like Wale and Travis Porter.

His Midas touch has birthed undeniable chart-toppers. "California," featuring Young Dolph, Rico Barrino, and T.I., became a radio mainstay, its breezy vibes a welcome respite from the genre's usual intensity. "On the Way," with DJ Luke Nasty and “Smile Bitch/Living My Best Life” by Lil Duval ft. Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy, both earned RIAA Gold certification. And who could forget the viral sensation "Twerkulator" by City Girls, a testament to Hanky's ability to craft anthems that ignite dancefloors despite defying traditional release channels.